RFID transponders, or tags, either active, passive, or semi-active, are sometimes used with a RFID reader for communicating information. RFID tags may also be used to provide information about the locations of entities associated with an RFID tag. Active RFID tags can have an independent source of power, such as a battery, while passive RFID tags are typically powered by the electromagnetic fields that are used to read them. Semi-active RFID tags may contain an independent source of power (e.g., a battery) to power the tag's circuitry and may communicate by drawing power from the electromagnetic fields generated by a reader, similar to a passive RFID tag (e.g., backscatter), with the power source providing extra power for the backscatter signal, such as to provide additional range.
A RFID reader is usually configured to transmit a radio frequency (“RF”) electromagnetic field, which can include a data signal. In the case of a passive tag, the RF electromagnetic field, sometimes called an interrogation signal, energizes the tag, thereby enabling the tag to respond by modulating the interrogation signal using a technique called backscattering.
A number of deficiencies and problems associated with manufacturing, using, operating, and communicating with conventional RFID tags are identified herein. Through applied effort, ingenuity, and innovation, exemplary solutions to many of these identified problems are embodied by the present invention, which is described in detail below.